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Pakistan

  • Christian Dies in Custody

    Christians in Lahore, Pakistan were shocked and angered by the death of Rehmat Masih on April 2. Rehmat was arrested on March 18, accused of stealing 300 law books. According to his family, Rehmat was tortured at the Sanha police station and then taken to Camp Jail where his condition deteriorated. He was eventually transferred to hospital where he died.

    Rehmat was employed as a custodian at the Punjab Civil Secretariat (PCS) in Lahore. When 300 law books went missing, a member of PCS Law Department accused Rehmat and another Christian, Iqbal Masih. According to Rehmat's wife, he was illiterate and his only transportation was a bicycle, making the transportation of 300 books (which he could not even read) both impossible and ludicrous.

    Following his death, the family brought Rehmat's body to the PCS office, demanding justice. Police cordoned off the area and pushed back the protestors. Rehmat's cousin, Boodi Masih was hit in the head with a police baton and died of his injuries.

    According to Gulf News, Punjab Chief Secretary, Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa, has demanded an immediate investigation and has registered a case against Sandha Police Inspector Rana Mohammed, Deputy Secretary of Law Ghulam Mehdi and Camp Jail Superintendent Javed Latif. The PCS office is said to be quite shaken by the violence surrounding the protests and some officials are openly critical of the brutality by the police.

    Pray for Rehmat's wife and five children as they grieve this lose. Pray for Christians in Pakistan who often face violence and false accusations because of their faith.
  • Brothers Convicted of Blasphemy Released

    The Voice of the Martyrs has received a report this morning from the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) that two Pakistani brothers convicted of blasphemy have been acquitted and released. Saleem and Rasheed Masih were arrested on June 3, 1999 after accusations revolving around a land dispute. In May 2000, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. Today, Justice Rustam Ali Malik of the Lahore High Court gave his decision, six weeks after the case was heard.

    Praise God for this decision! Pray that Pakistan's blasphemy law (295C) will be repealed. Christians who are acquitted of blasphemy charges have often faced opposition and persecution from those who reject the acquittal. Pray for protection for the brothers. Pray also for protection for their lawyer, Aslam Pervez Chaudhry, who represents several Christians accused of blasphemy and has received numerous death threats.
  • Missionary Murdered in Suspected Setup

    A missionary working among minority groups in the Philippines was shot and killed on January 17. According to Missions Insider, a missionary was riding his motorbike on Mindanao Island when he accidentally hit a motorbike driven by a Muslim. On hearing about the accident, the other missionaries from the team came and police took the two drivers to their headquarters for questioning. A member of the team was wheeling the motorbike home when he was shot in the chest and killed. The killer has not been identified, but he is suspected to be a member of a militant Muslim sect. The other missionary is suspecting a setup, since they had previously received death threats.

    Pray for the widow and their 2-year-old daughter as they grieve this loss. Pray for other missionaries working in high-risk areas of the Philippines.
  • Blinded Church Members Blamed for Church Attack

    At least three survivors of the deadly attack on a Presbyterian Church in Chianwali, Pakistan on Christmas Day have sustained permanent eye damage, according to a report from Compass Direct on January 7. To add to their injuries, Urdu-language newspapers are naming them as probable suspects in the bombing. The three men have been identified as Boota Masih, Afzal Masih and his brother Aslam Pervaiz Masih. Boota Masih's two daughters remain in hospital with injuries. According to one Christian, this is not unusual, as Islamic groups put pressure on the Christians to drop all charges against those responsible for the attack. Some of those injured are also refusing to be released from hospital, afraid to return to their village.

    Three girls were killed in the attack and thirteen other children and their parents were injured in the attack. As more information is made available about the attacks, earlier reports are being contradicted, including the report of a fourth victim. Also eyewitnesses are reporting that the attackers were not wearing burqas, as originally reported. Instead, their faces could be clearly seen and they were identified as local Islamic militants, but witnesses have been hesitant to testify to the authorities because of possible reprisals from police.

    Pray that those responsible for this attack will be brought to justice. Pray for peace of heart and mind for the Christians of Chianwali. Pray for healing for those injured and for the families of the victims.
     
        
     


     
  • Muslims Urged to Kill Christians

    An Islamic organization, JeshIhle-Alqiblat Al-Jihadi Alsari Al-Alami, has published a pamphlet in Urdu and Arabic calling on Muslims to kill Christians wherever and whenever they are found. The pamphlet, being distributed in various parts of Pakistan, says that this is the duty of every Muslim. According to a report received by The Voice of the Martyrs on January 10, Pakistani Christians are being specifically targeted in connection with the "war on terrorism" in Afghanistan and there is fear for escalated violence if Iraq is attacked.

    Christians in Pakistan and other Islamic countries need our concentrated prayers during this time of uncertainty in the world as militant Islamic groups attempt to make the "war on terrorism" into a "war on Islam."
  • Arrest Made in Christmas Day Bombing

    The Punjab police claim to have arrested one of the two men who threw bombs into a church in Chianwali, Pakistan on Christmas Day, killing three and wounding 14 others. Authorities told the Pakistani newspaper, DAWN, on January 12 that the suspect was arrested based on intelligence sources and that he has since confessed. Authorities will not reveal his identity nor if he has connections to any organization.

    This arrest came only one day after more than 100 Pakistani Christians rallied in Lahore, calling on police to arrest those responsible for the attacks.

    Pray that those responsible for this attack will be brought to justice. Pray for Christians in Pakistan, who have become increasingly frustrated in the face of increasing attacks.

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